 Chicago protest of SB 1070, May 29 Photo: John Beacham |
On May 29, 100,000 people marched against SB 1070 in
Arizona, while 250 people came out in Chicago to oppose the Arizona law.
A coalition of immigrant rights groups rallied
and then marched on PetSmart, an Arizona-based company. From the rally point to
PetSmart, the marchers chanted, “Sí Se Puede!” and “When they say get back, we
say fight back!”
The protests on May 29 were part of a nationwide
struggle to stop SB 1070 from becoming a law before the 60-day deadline.
“If we aren’t out on the streets, the government
doesn’t get the idea” said Maritere Gomez, an undocumented student from the
Chicago area. “We are aware of their racism and by fighting against them with
confidence we can organize and nullify SB 1070.” Everyone marching wanted to
get across this point, not just to PetSmart but also the entire country. The idea is that we should be fighting
every day for our rights as workers and human beings.
Earlier in the week, the Obama administration
answered the immigrant rights’ movement by sending 1,200 more troops to
militarize the border. In response, protest participant Rigo
Gogol stated: “1,200 troops
are not needed at the borders. What we need is 1,200 scholarships.”
On this national day of action, thousands came
out to protest this racist law pushed through to divide the workers in the
struggle for equality. We will continue our fight to nullify SB 1070, end
racism and win full equality for all immigrants.
